What Questions Cannot Be Asked in a Job Interview?

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In preparation for your upcoming job interview, you may have searched online for common questions employers ask and practiced your responses. The prospective employer will inevitably throw some curve balls your way and you will have to think on the fly. However, it is not okay if any of their questions make you even the slightest bit uncomfortable. That is, you should understand that there are certain questions that an employer cannot ask you, for ethical and legal reasons alike. So with that in mind, please continue reading to learn what questions an employer should avoid asking during your job interview and how an experienced employment discrimination attorney in Gloucester County, NJ, at The Vigilante Law Firm, P.C. can help you prepare for how to respond.

What questions should an employer not ask during a job interview?

Namely, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recommends that employers not ask job candidates about their characteristics protected by federal and state laws. This is because such questions may make a candidate fall under the assumption that an employer participates in discriminatory activity within their hiring process. Further, this may make an employer vulnerable to an employment discrimination claim. Without further ado, below are examples of questions an employer should avoid at all costs:

  • Are you biracial or multilingual? (i.e., race discrimination).
  • What is your cultural background? (i.e., national origin discrimination).
  • How old are you and when do you plan to retire? (i.e., age discrimination).
  • What religion do you practice or church do you attend? (i.e., religious discrimination).
  • Are you pregnant, plan to get pregnant within the next year, or do you have children? (i.e., family status discrimination).
  • Are you married, plan to get married within the next year, or have ever been married? (i.e., marital status discrimination).

What should I do if I get asked an unwarranted question during my interview?

Understandably, you may grow extremely uncomfortable if a prospective employer asks you an inappropriate, unethical, or bordering illegal question during your job interview. Well, in this stressful moment, you must take a breath and remember that you can handle this in one of two reasonable ways.

For one, you may ask the employer how their question relates to the job position you are interviewing for. There may be a possibility that they can justify it. For example, they may have asked about your age because the job position has age-related legal requirements tied to it. Secondly, you may excuse yourself from having to answer their question and ask to move on to the next one.

If you leave this interview feeling uneasy, you must share your experience with a wise legal representative. At any rate, please contact one of the skilled New Jersey employment lawyers today. We, at The Vigilante Law Firm, P.C., look forward to your phone call.

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